Former world champion Anatoly Karpov has stirred debate in the chess world after claiming that reigning world champion Dommaraju Gukesh won his title “by chance,” reigniting long-standing discussions around the legitimacy and quality of recent world championship contests.
Speaking in an interview with Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda ahead of his 75th birthday, Karpov questioned the circumstances surrounding Gukesh’s victory over Ding Liren in the 2024 World Chess Championship held in Singapore. Gukesh, who was 18 at the time, became the youngest world champion in chess history with the win.
“First of all, the Indian chess player became [champion] by chance, because he wasn’t supposed to win the match against the Chinese player [Ding Liren],” Karpov said. “The Chinese player lost a game there that he shouldn’t have lost. Had he not, the Chinese player would have remained the world champion.”
Karpov’s remarks have drawn attention not only for their bluntness but also for the historical irony they carry. The Russian himself became world champion in 1975 after American legend Bobby Fischer forfeited his title, a fact often cited in discussions about unconventional championship outcomes. Karpov went on to cement his legacy by defending his crown against Viktor Korchnoi in 1978 and 1981, before engaging in an iconic rivalry with Garry Kasparov across five world championship matches spanning 144 games.
The comments also echo a broader sentiment within Russian chess circles, which have not seen a world champion since Vladimir Kramnik held the title in 2007. Since then, challengers such as Sergey Karjakin in 2016 and Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2021 and 2023 have come close but ultimately fallen short.
Karpov is not alone in his criticism of Gukesh’s rise. Shortly after the teenager’s historic triumph in December 2024, Kramnik took to social media with a sharp reaction, writing: “No comment. Sad. End of chess as we know it.” During the championship match itself, Kramnik had also expressed disappointment with the standard of play.
“Frankly, I am very disappointed by today’s game (Game 6). Even Game 5 was not extremely high level, but today it was really – for a professional – it was really weak play from both players. It’s a very disappointing level,” Kramnik had said.
“It’s such a strange game. Both players were making mistake after mistake, strategical mistakes. As if they don’t get the sense of the position. Maybe I’m old-school but it’s pretty basic! Of course, they’re both great players and great calculators. They calculate fantastically.
“But I expect something a bit more from a world championship match, like ideas! Human play, human concepts! If I want to enjoy chess as just a game of calculation, I would rather watch a world championship of chess engines!”
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Meanwhile, Andrei Filatov, president of the Chess Federation of Russia, had gone a step further by alleging that Ding may have deliberately lost the match and called for an investigation by FIDE, the sport’s global governing body.
Despite the criticism, Gukesh’s achievement marked a generational shift in world chess, highlighting the rise of young talents from new regions. While detractors question the quality and circumstances of his victory, supporters argue that the unpredictability of elite competition is precisely what keeps the game alive and evolving.